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Research Letter
Less Is More
June 21, 2022

Yield of Head Computed Tomography Examinations for Common Psychiatric Presentations and Implications for Medical Clearance From a 6-Year Analysis of Acute Hospital Visits

Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
  • 2Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
  • 3Health Policy and Management, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
  • 4Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
JAMA Intern Med. 2022;182(8):879-881. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.2198

Head computed tomography (CT) examinations are used in acute settings to exclude structural pathology for patients with various psychiatric presentations.1 Recommendations for neuroimaging in psychiatric illness vary and mostly address first episodes of psychosis.2 To our knowledge, no current guidelines address specific and common psychiatric presentations such as hallucinations, delusions, and suicidal ideation. This study aimed (1) to determine the yield of head CT examinations for actionable pathology in common psychiatric presentations and (2) to characterize any very low–risk scenarios in which imaging may be avoidable.

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